The rise of the halal economy and the potential issues for research

From a commercial perspective, the halal economy naturally encompasses all sectors affected by the Muslim population’s adherence to Islamic values lifestyle and business practices, which, ultimately, have an impact on the market. The potential of the halal economy is significant, as it touches the lives of Muslims, who make up about 23.4% of the world population; the combined population of which is growing at twice the rate of the global population. The rise of the halal economy is astonishing, as the potential consumers of the halal economy are not only limited to Muslims, but also extend to those outside the Islamic faith who share similar values. The value-based needs that are driving the halal economy sectors include the need for pure and healthy food, fair and ethical trade, environmentally friendly, modest clothing, family-friendly travel, and animal welfare. In her presentation, Azmawani will give a brief overview of the different halal economy sectors and a snapshot on the market size of key sectors. She will also address issues related to the rise of the halal economy around the globe and its global market potential. Through the discussion of key drivers, opportunities, and challenges of the halal economy, her presentation will also include some analysis on the publication trends and the potential research issues within the area of halal products and services

The Influence of Organizational Culture and Strategy on Attitudes Toward Organizational Change

This study investigated the influence of organizational culture and strategy on attitudes toward organizational change in Malaysia. This research also examined the association between ethnic culture and organizational culture. Organizational culture was measured by using the Organizational Culture Model developed by Goffee and Jones (1998), while organizational strategy was measured by using Miles and Snow's (1978) strategic typology, and the attitudes toward change were measured by using the Dunham et.al. (1989) instrument. A total of 258 companies listed in the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) directory participated in the study. Chi-square tests, Pearson correlation, and cross tabulation were used to measure the association between the variables and to determine the extent of influence of the independent variables on the dependent factors. It was found that there is a strong association between organizational culture and organizational strategy. The cross tabulation results revealed that certain types of strategy prefer the adoption of certain types of organizational culture. It was also found that there is an association between organizational culture and attitudes toward organizational change. Cross tabulation results also revealed that the different types of organizational culture have different levels of acceptance of attitudes toward organizational change. With regards to the relationship between organizational strategy and attitudes toward organizational change, it was found that there is an association between them. The cross tabulation results also showed that the different types of organizational strategy have different levels of acceptance of attitudes toward organizational change. Finally, ethnic culture was found to have no association with organizational culture

Buyer-supplier relationships in advanced manufacturing technology acquisition and implementation in Malaysia

In an increasingly competitive environment, manufacturing firms in developing countries have continued to acquire and implement new and advanced technologies aimed at improving plant performance. In any new technology adoption, implementation remains the main issue, having been recognised by practitioners and widely reported by researchers as a major source of project failure. This is particularly true if the technology is considered to be advanced for the firm. While many factors have been blamed for causing project failure, efforts continue to be made to identify the critical success factors in technology implementation. In the implementation of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), the relationship between technology buyers and suppliers has been widely cited as crucial to overall success. This paper explores technology buyer-supplier relationships and both implementation and performance of technology throughout the process of acquisition and implementation. Data obtained from 147 manufacturing firms in Malaysia was used to test several hypotheses, which were derived from an extensive review of literature relating to advanced manufacturing technology and buyer-supplier relationships (BSR). The data was analysed using the structured equation modelling (SEM) technique. The results indicate that although a majority of the firms reported improvements in performance since initiating the use of AMT, firms demonstrating a closer relationship with the technology suppliers are more likely to achieve higher levels of performance than those that do not. The result of this study also provides useful insights that are especially pertinent for improved understanding of buyer-supplier relationships in the procurement of capital equipment, about which research literature is currently quite sparse

Buyer-supplier relationships in advanced manufacturing technology acquisition and implementation : a study in Malaysia

This thesis reports the results of research into the connections between transaction attributes and buyer-supplier relationships (BSR) in advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) acquisitions and implementation. It also examines the impact of the different patterns of BSR on performance. Specifically, it addresses the issues of how the three transaction attributes; namely level of complexity, level of asset specificity, and level of uncertainty, can affect the relationships between the technology buyer and suppler in AMT acquisition and implementation, and then to see the impact of different patterns of BSR on the two aspect of performance; namely technology and implementation performance. In understanding the pohenomena, the study mainly draws on and integrates the literature of transaction cost economics theory,buyer-supplier relationships and advanced manufacturing technology as a basis of theoretical framework and hypotheses development.data were gathered through a questionnaire survey with 147 responses and seven semi-structured interviews of manufacturing firms in Malaysia. Quantitative data were analysed mainly using the AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structure) package for structural equation modeling and SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) for analysis of variance (ANOVA). Data from interview sessions were used to develop a case study with the intention of providing a richer and deeper understanding on the subject under investigation and to offer triangulation in the research process. he results of the questionnaire survey indicate that the higher the level of technological specificity and uncertainty, the more firms are likely to engage in a closer relationship with technology suppliers.However, the complexity of the technology being implemented is associated with BSR only because it is associated with the level of uncertainty that has direct impact upon BSR.The analysis also provides strong support for the premise that developing strong BSR could lead to an improved performance. However, with high levels of transaction attribute, implementation performance suffers more when firms have weak relationships with technology suppliers than with moderate and low levels of transaction attributes. The implications of the study are offered for both the academic and practitioner audience. The thesis closes with reports on its limitations and suggestions for further research that would address some of these limitations

Establishment of traceability practices through halal assurance system (HAS) implementation

For several years, Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) has started to introduce the Halal Assurance System (HAS) to enable companies to fulfil the needs of end-customer. Besides, it allows companies to be more competent in ensuring halal assurance along the supply chain. The introduction of HAS as one of control system in order to sustain Halal integrity of a product is a remarkable effort. Even though HAS is currently compulsory for multinational company, but it is imperative for every player in halal industry to understand the importance of implementing the system properly. This is to ensure that the expected results can be maximized especially in providing traceability. There is a possibility of using multiple approaches of management or system due to the different guidelines, standards and practices that enables traceability in production. Thus, this paper discusses the similarity components of HAS, ISO22005:2007, and HACCP (Hazard Critical Control Point). This paper suggests that through the effective HAS implementation, firms can add value by having the traceability system in place

Employee perception of CSR activities, job attachment and organizational commitment

The idea that a business has duties toward society and its stakeholders is widely acknowledged and has increased dramatically in the recent years. This study examined the mediation effect of job attachment on the relationship between employee perception on corporate social responsibility CSR activities and organisational commitment. Data were obtained through survey questionnaires from a sample of 143 firms operating in Malaysia. The results indicated significant relationships between perception of CSR and job attachment, and between job attachment and organisational commitments. However, this study found no mediation effect of job attachment on the relationships between perception of CSR activities and organisational commitment. This indicates that CSR activities can directly affect both job attachment and relate to individual feelings toward the job and organisational commitment, which relate to feelings towards the organization. These results suggest that CSR activities make a powerful contribution to intangible organizational benefits. The study offers implications for both theory and practice

New technology adoption at Toolmatch Sdn. Bhd.

This case illustrates the experience of a company, Toolmatch Sdn. Bhd. in adopting a robotic welding system. The technology was adopted to enable the company to deliver quality product in a fast and reliable manner. This case provides information about what could go wrong in the process of new technology implementation especially to the novice users, who are lacking of knowledge and skills on the technology and its implementation process. Complications and problems faced by Toolmatch during the process of technology implementation are highlighted in the case. This case presents opportunities to discuss technology adoption process and application of a system development model and to evaluate and discuss the key success factors of new technology adoption. If the technology is managed effectively, expensive mistakes may be avoided

Antecedents of green purchasing behavior among Malaysian consumers

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence green purchasing behaviors of Malaysian consumers and observes if the factors affecting green purchasing behavior differ by demographic profile. Respondents in this study were consumers from various age groups, education level, ethnic group, type of occupation and income level. The results shows that the best predictor for green purchasing behavior is environmental attitude followed by perceived environmental responsibility; environmental concern, perceived seriousness of environmental problems, perceived effectiveness of environmental behavior and government’s role. While for demographic variables, only age group is significant in explaining the environmental factors. The result of the research can serve as a guideline for firms to strategize their marketing approaches that caused buying behavior while analyzing the demographic characteristics would give firms better knowledge towards targeting these groups of people. This study also offers practical guidelines to marketers who are planning to target the Malaysian market. The understanding on the changing consumption pattern of Malaysian consumers and the value of attachment, they gave to the environment provides useful insights that are especially pertinent to an improved understanding of green purchasing behavior in the South East Asia context

Pasukan Tindakan Kecemasan (ERT- UPM COVID-19) UPM

SERDANG - Semenjak bermulanya pelaksanakan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan pada 18 Mac 2020 di seluruh negara untuk menghindarkan wabak COVID-19 daripada terus menular, Pasukan Tindakan Kecemasan (ERT-UPM COVID-19) Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) telah memainkan peranan yang amat penting bagi memastikan kesinambungan perkhidmatan di UPM dan kesediaan UPM dalam menangani isu ini dengan pantas dan berkesan. Pasukan ini diketuai oleh Komanden Insiden, Naib Canselor UPM, Prof Datin Paduka Setia Dato’ Dr. Aini Ideris

UPM wujudkan sistem pengurusan risiko

Keselamatan, Kesihatan dan Kebajikan pekerja adalah tanggungjawab utama setiap majikan. Tanggungjawab ini adalah merupakan kehendak perundangan yang wajib dipatuhi di bawah peruntukan Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 1994 (AKTA 514). Dalam kontek ini, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) sentiasa memberi keutamaan kepada Keselamatan, Kesihatan dan Kebajikan warga kampus dan mempunyai tadbir urus yang sentiasa peka terhadap isu kecemasan atau bencana yang berlaku. Pendekatan pengurusan risiko secara sistematik telah menjadi amalan penting di UPM dalam membantu negara memutuskan rantaian jangkitan COVID-19